Believe it or not, I'm naturally an introvert. It was a running joke in my family that if we went out for dinner you wouldn't hear a peep out of me. From my perspective, I never saw anything by it - I simply didn't have anything to say or add, so I kept quiet and did my thing. There is certainly nothing wrong with being an introvert, but one of the most common questions I'm asked is how to open up and become more extroverted. As someone that is now more on the extroverted side, I find that it comes down to practice and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. Even now, if I spend too long away from social interaction or speaking on camera - I gradually revert back to my introverted self. The breakthrough for me was when I did a gap year aged 18, and I worked behind a bar in a ski resort. Suddenly, I had no choice but to speak to people, and it was a nice way to ease into things as you immediately break the ice when you're serving someone. Years later when I filmed my first video speaking into the camera, which you can still find on my IGTV, it took me well over two hours and many, many takes - to the extent that I nearly stopped because the sun was coming down. The same goes for phone calls or meetings, I would get incredibly nervous about knowing what to say. Fast forward to the present, I'd like to think I'm better than most at maintaining conversation and reading the room - because I had to practice. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations that force you to learn, and find a certain comfort in that uncomfortable feeling. At the end of the day, nothing dramatic results from an awkward silence :))